Diverged Path
by RuptureWolfbane
Summary: Rin heard about her parents' discussion, that either her or Sakura had to leave. She didn't want to, and neither she wanted her sister to go. She chose to leave first, leaving her heritage, her family, her everything behind.
1. Chapter 1

Diverged Path

Chapter 1

The air was cold.

That was the only thing on the mind of the six-year-old as she walked down the barren streets of Fuyuki late that night. It wasn't snowing anymore, but the frost was still there. Her rushed departure had cost her much warmth, but there was no way she was going to turn back now. Not after she had made up her mind.

"It's cold," she stated the obvious, and exhaled onto her palms, trying to warm her small hands.

She turned, and glanced back at the way she had come from, and sighed. Renewing her resolution, she continued her walk, not having a specific destination in mind. All that she knew at that moment was to get as far away from Fuyuki as she could.

"I really should have brought some money with me, or a pair of mittens, or a scarf…" complained the pig-tailed girl.

Then something caught her sight, and a voice she knew by heart called out her name, she immediately dodged into the nearest alley, hiding behind some crates. Apparently it was the back alley of shop lots, so there were plenty of places for a child to hide.

As the voice sounded louder and louder, she retreated even further into the alley, trying to hide herself in the dark. She knew that voice, and she knew that if he found her there and then, then all of her plans would be in vain.

"RIN-CHAN!!" the voice called, louder this time.

From her spot, she could see the man calling out for her. He was tall, with dark hair. And even in the cold, he was only dressed in a blue hoodie and black cargo pants.

Rin pressed her back against the wall, and closed her eyes. The sight of her uncle brought up a whole load of emotions. Kariya had always treated her and her younger sister like his own daughters, playing with them in the park and bringing back souvenirs for them whenever he went out of town due to his work.

She sniffed, and told herself that she shouldn't cry, but the tears rolled down her cheeks.

FSNFSNFSN

"RIN-CHAN!!!" he called again, looking around for any sign of red. He knew the young girl loved to dress in red. It was the colour of the Tohsaka clan, and the young Magus had always followed the "family tradition".

But now, there was no sign of the child. He knew she shouldn't have gone far, since Aoi left Rin's room for only fifteen minutes, coming back to find it empty. The heartbroken woman had immediately called him instead of telling Tokiomi first.

Without a second thought, he had immediately rushed out into the night, looking for the missing girl while trying to comfort Aoi. He remembered how distraught his childhood friend, and also his love interest had sounded, but now, he felt so useless.

"Rin-chan, please…" he whispered. "Please come out, ojisan will bring you home…"

FSNFSNFSN

Tohsaka Aoi sat on her daughter's bed, her fragile frame shaking from her sobs. She was still recovering the fact that her eldest daughter had gone missing. She tried to convince herself that the child might have just wandered off for a late night walk, but her mother's instinct screamed wrong.

She knew she should inform her husband about the matter, but she couldn't stand. It was the shock. And she knew that deep down, he wouldn't have cared in the least. To him, family were nothing but tools,that was how Tokiomi was like. He was a true Magus, unlike a lot of the Spell Casters out there who called themselves a Magus. To add on, he was an aristocrat at heart.

"Oh, Rin…" she sobbed. "Why?"

But, even as she asked herself that question, she knew in her heart that she had the answer to her question. During her conversation with her husband earlier that day, she had heard the soft creak of the door closing. But she had ignored it. Now, coming to think of it, she regretted not going to her child and talk about the matter.

Her phone rang, and she quickly answered it. "Kariya-kun? Have you found her?"

"No, Aoi-san. I'm already at the city outskirts, but there's no sign of her…" came his voice.

He sounded tired, and Aoi knew she shouldn't have called him in the middle of the nigh to help her search for Rin. But to the woman, he was the only person who could offer her comfort in times of need. They had grown up together, and got to know each other so well, people who have thought that they were actually siblings.

"I see…" her voice came out hoarse and broken.

"Aoi-san, I will continue searching in the other direction. Maybe Rin-chan had wandered off in the other direction," he offered. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll call you back if I have any news."

If, Aoi thought to herself, and gently shook her head before speaking. "No, I can't sleep. I'm worried about her… Kariya-kun, where are you now? I'll join you on the search."

"Ah?" he sounded surprised. "But Aoi-san, what if Sakura-chan wakes up and looks for you? Or Rin-chan returning to the Tohsaka manor? You wouldn't be there for either one of them if that's the case."

Aoi sighed. "You have a point… I'll wait for you to call then, Kariya-kun."

"I will," he replied before hanging up the phone.

FSNFSNFSN

Rin looked around her in confusion, trying to get her bearings in the city. The buildings seemed so different in the night as compared to the day. She couldn't make out which building was which, and it was ruining her initial intentions of getting out of the city and making it to the neighbouring city on that night.

"I thought I was already at the city outskirts just now…" she grumbled, stuffing her numb hands into her pockets.

And she was actually right. She was already at the city outskirts, but seeing Kariya and her attempts of dodging him had taken her into another part of the city, one that she was unfamiliar with. Now, as she wandered through the streets, she was starting to get scared. Even if she was a Magus, she was still a child.

"Oka-san…" she started to sob. "I wanna go home…"

FSNFSNFSN

Just to clarify something first before I talk about this chapter. English is not my mother tongue. It is in fact the third language I learn. So, please put up with me if you see any stupid grammar mistakes. I'm still learning here. But, do point them out if you spot any, I will gladly appreciate it.

So, about the story. I took another path, whereby none of the sisters will be sent to the Matou. I have no idea whether this type of plot has been written or not before, but I would like to give my imagination a try. Here are some questions to ponder:

Rin has left home. Where will she go? Will her potential be developed? Or will she lead a normal, mundane life?

Sakura becoming the Tohsaka heiress. How will her sister's disappearance affect her personality?

One most important question. How will this affect the Matou family? Zouken is desperate for an heir, and the Grail. Where will he find a substitute?


	2. Chapter 2

**Diverged Path**

 **Chapter 2**

 **OBSERVER01 nli: It's nice of you to drop me a review. I really appreciate it.**

 **Guest: Thanks for your views on the characterisation. I will review on the characterisation more. True, he cares about his children in a Magus's way, and Aoi may not be able to truly understand his intentions. As for Zouken, yes, he does care about his family too. All Magus do, in fact. Descendants are the family legacy after all. But perhaps for now, their concern towards their own family has not been clearly shown yet as we are still in the beginning of the story. Byakuya having another kid will end in him or her having no magical abilities is high in probability, but Zouken might risk that before moving on to other options.**

FSNFSNFSN

He had watched it from the eyes of his familiars lurking around in the city. He had seen the older Tohsaka sibling wandering into the city alone in the middle of the night, and not returning to the manor ever since then. He had also seen his second born, Kariya looking for the child, and had snorted in disgust.

He had known that Kariya had always loved the Zenjou maiden ever since they were children, but he had never summoned up his courage to confess to the maiden about his feelings, and now, the man could only watch as his loved woman wed another man and gave birth to his children.

Matou Zouken couldn't think of another time to loathe his sons even more than now. Byakuya had been born with inept magic abilities. His circuits were of the lowest quality, and it was a pure disgrace to the once famous Russian magus family. Even with a wife who had such great magical potential and ability, their son was an even bigger disgrace. Matou Shinji had been born without magic circuits.

His second son, Kariya was the one who would've been able to be a great Magus, but the rebellious man had cut all ties with his own family, turning his back away from magic, and living only as a mundane human. Another disgrace to the family.

And now, with the older Tohsaka sibling missing, he knew that Tokiomi would never keep his deal on the other end. They had agreed on it in the first place because Tokiomi had wanted to nurture the potential in both his children, but he couldn't do so if both child were raised together in the Tohsaka household. And Zouken had wanted an heir.

The two men had an agreement. One of the Tohsaka children would be sent to the Matou household, so both children could receive the best magic education. Both Rin and Sakura would be able to stand as equals, instead of one being in the shadow of another if they were to be raised in the same household.

But, of course Tokiomi would never learn of his real intentions of wanting a new heir. _But then again_ , he thought, _what I want is the Grail as well, only what I want to do with it is different from that fool of a Tokiomi…_

"Perhaps, it's time to use some unorthodox measures," Zouken said aloud to himself. "This is a great opportunity. Tokiomi has no need to know that I already have his daughter. I will shape the Tohsaka girl into what I want. This Grail War, I have no chance, but the next war…"

He broke off into a mad cackle.

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Rin sneezed, sniffling. She tried to wrap herself in the tattered blanket she had found just a while ago, but it was more to just a piece of rag. There wasn't much warmth she could get from it, but it was still better than nothing.

"Oka-san…" she whimpered, pulling the blanket tighter around her frame, and shifting backwards even more to shield herself from the cold.

She was tired, hungry and cold. She had never felt so miserable until now. She was alone on the streets, on a part of Fuyuki she had never been to. She wanted to go home, but she couldn't. She knew that one of them would have to leave eventually anyway.

Not wanting to think more about the unknown predicament ahead, Rin focused on her current state. It was morning already, and she was both thirsty and hungry. There wasn't a single cent on her, how was she going to survive on her own? Her magical training in mind control had not been completed yet, and even if it was, Rin felt that she shouldn't be using magic for this.

She couldn't stay there for any longer. It was time to go, but with no destination in mind. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too numb, and didn't obey her command. She tried to push herself off the ground, only to find that her fingers and arms were equally numb from the cold as well. A night outside without proper warmth had reduced her to her current state.

A tear rolled down her cheek, trailing a narrow line of warmth down her cheek. But it felt like a hot burn on her cheek. She couldn't care less about it now. She just wanted all things miserable to end. More tears rolled down her cheeks, and she let them flow, not bothering to wipe them away. She wished her mother was here, so she could brawl and cry her eyes out. Not anymore, she had to be strong for herself, and she wasn't liking it one bit at the moment.

She didn't hear the footsteps that was sounding nearer and nearer to where she was. Not until a woman emerged from the shadows, a black briefcase in hand. The woman seemed surprised to see Rin, but the shock quickly passed from her face.

At that moment, a burst of energy surged through the young girl, and she flung herself at the woman, hugging her around the legs, crying her eyes out. The woman was shocked, and reached out a hand to rest it on Rin's head.

"What's wrong?"

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Aoi walked down the stairs slowly. Her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying. She was dreading the conversation which was about to happen, but she had to face it sooner or later, so why drag the matter on?

She saw him sitting at the table, nursing his cup of morning coffee. He looked up and smiled at her when he heard her coming down, but this morning, she couldn't return the smile. The worry and guilt in her was gnawing at her.

A gentle tug on her hand prompted her to look down at her younger daughter. Her bright blue eyes looked at her with concern, her lips slightly tugged down in a pout. Aoi gave Sakura's hand a gentle squeeze and smiled, albeit forced. But it was enough for Sakura, who began pulling her mother down the stairs.

The two of them sat down at the table, with Aoi opposite Tokiomi and Sakura beside her. Sakura took her glass of milk and began to drink from it. Aoi's eyes fixed on the plate in front of her, but she didn't reach out for her cutlery.

"Where's Rin? Still asleep?" he asked. It wasn't uncommon for Rin to oversleep or to ignore her mother whenever she tried to wake the little girl up.

"Rin… she's missing…" she said slowly, not looking up.

"What?!"

FSNFSNFSN

And there you guys have it. The second chapter of Diverged Path. After finishing this chapter, I keep telling myself that this writing still sucks, and I should do a rewrite, but the other part of my brain told me that I have rewritten this chapter for five times already. So, same thing as before, please let me know if there's any grammar errors. I'm still learning~

Alright, on with the story.

Zouken seems to have his own thoughts and plans after knowing Rin has left the Tohsaka household on her own. What does he have in mind?

Hi, mystery woman, I wonder who you are? I mean, you all have left me great ideas to ponder upon, and I have not made up my mind on who this woman should be. Too many possibilities.

And, the cat is out of the sack. Tokiomi knows all. What will he do after this?

Please, please, please, do drop me a review to let me know your thoughts. I will read and reply each and every one of you, although sometimes I might be slow due to my assignment load. I hope to read from you all. Have a nice day.


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